History

In 1947, Miami Springs (of which it was then a part) passed an ordinance outlawing horses from the city limits. In response, about 50 citizens decided to break away and form their own city.

The city is named for the home state of many of the wealthy transplants which made up the founding residents. At the time of incorporation, many of the residents owned large estates, some up to 5 acres (20,000 m2), suitable for horse ownership. Only a single 1-acre (4,000 m2) residential property remains within the village limits today; the bulk of residential property now consists of 0.2-acre (810 m2) lots typical of suburban developments.

As of 2010, there were 949 households of which 5.3% were vacant. In 2000, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.22.

In 2000, age distribution was 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

In 2000, the median household income $40,197, and the median family income was $44,800. Males had a median income of $31,302 versus $26,274 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,139. About 9.5% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, Virginia Gardens had the nineteenth-highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 26.11% of the populace. It had the tenth-highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 7.16%, and the seventh-highest percentage of Peruvian residents in the US, at 3.24% of the its population. It also had the fifteenth-most Nicaraguans in the US, at 2.51%, while it had the sixtieth-highest percentage of Dominicans, at 2.39% (tied with North Miami Beach.) Virginia Gardens' Venezuelan community had the eighth-highest percentage of residents, which was at a 1.58% populace, while the Guatemalan community had the ninety-eighth-highest percentage of residents, which was at 1.15% (tied with Bokeelia, FL.) It is also home to the forty-sixth-highest percentage of Ecuadorian residents in the US, at 1.32% of the population, as well as being home to the forty-second-highest percentage of Honduran, at 1.11% (tied with Atlantic City, New Jersey.)

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